Slack adjuster



W. H. SAUVAGE. SLACK ADJUSTEFL' APPLICATION FILED JUHEZI, I919.

Patented June 20, 1922.

WILLTAIVI SAUVAGE, O11 FLUSI-IING, NEVT YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY IMESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

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Application filed. are 27,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flushing, Long Island, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slack adjusters, and more particularly to slack adjusters for foundation brake rigging of railway cars.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical slack adjuster of the above general character having relativelyfew parts which may be inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

A further object is to provide a slack adjuster of the above general type adapted to insure uniform. piston travel. at all times and to take up any excess slack in the brake rigging immediately after the application of the brakes is released Other objects will bein part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention. 7

This invention accordinglyconsists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof. all as more completely outlined herein.

Drawings depicting one of several desired forms have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all of the views, of which Fig. 1 is a semidiagrammatic plan view of such-parts of the foundation brake rigging as are necessary to understand theyapplication of the present invention, certain parts being broken away orshown in section for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2' is a detail perspective view of certain part-s.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 denotes the main source of power or air brake cylinder provided with a reservoir 6, a triple valve 7, piston 8 and piston or Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 307,125.

push rod 9. Live and dead levers 10 and 11 respectively are connected by intervening pull or tie rod 12 near their central parts for. actuating pull rods 13 leading to the truck brake rigging at opposite ends of the car. As these parts are of well known construction, further details thereof are probably unnecessary.

The dead lever 11, however, instead of having a fixed fulcrum is provided with a movable fulcrum indicated at 14, Fig. 2. This fulcrum is moved by means of the slack adjuster mechanism which comprises a cylinder 15 having an elongated chamber 16 within which is positioned a spring 17 for returning a piston 18 to normal position. The piston 18 is actuated by an overflow of air .from the cylinder 5.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that this cylinder 5 is provided with a port 20 adapted to be uncovered by the piston 8 when the piston exceeds its normal travel of seven or eight inches. Air then passes under high pressure .through the pipe 21,

' past a shut-off cook 22 to the rear end of the cylinder 15 thus moving the piston 18 outwardly and its piston'or holding rod 23 which move freely through a take up and holding box 2 1 and supporting bracket 25. This holding box 24: contains a plurality of dogs or other gripping devices 26 normally held in canted position by means of springs 27. A take up rod 28 extends between the elongated chamber 16 and the bracket 25 and is also engaged by spring held dogs 29 within chamber 24:. These two sets of dogs may be moved to a position at right angles to the rod 23 by means of release handle 30 when it is desired to adjust the parts. as when replacing the 'worn brake shoes for instance.

While it is believed that the construction for use and operation of the device will be clear from the above, it may be briefly stated that on application of the brakes the piston 18 and holding rod 23 move freely relatively toward the left, Fig. 1, through the holding box 24: and when the brakes are released and the piston 18 returns to normal position under action of the spring 17 then the holding box 24, which acts as fulcrum for the dead lever 11, will be moved bodily relatively toward the right to its newly adjusted position on the take up rod 25. In this manner all of the slack is easily and quickly taken up.

This construction differentiates from the other constructions, which take up the slack on application of the brake. This slack adjuster takes up the slack when the air in the brake cylinder is exhausted to the atmosphere. The maximum stroke provided for piston 18 in this case is 1 inch travel and every time air is admitted into same, it will take up the piston travel 1 inch, since levers 10 and 11 are of the same proportion, so that when the piston travel gets out to 8 inches and air is admitted into pipe 21 and cylinder 15, on the release of the air in main cylinder, the slack will be shortened from 8 inches or any predetermined stroke that may be provided for in cylinder 15. The release spring 17 pulls back take up rod 23 one inch each time air is admitted into cylinder 15.

From the above it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical slack adjusting mechanism particularly applicable to the foundation brake rigging of railway vehicles.

I claim:

1. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a power cylinder having a piston, an auxiliary cylinder having a piston communicating means therebetween whereby the second piston is actuated on excess travel of the first mentioned piston, and slack adjuster mechanism associated withsaid second men tioned piston, including a holding rod and a take up rod, and a member adapted to be moved by one rod in one direction and to be held against movement in the opposite direc tion by reason of its engagement with the other rod.

2. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a power cylinder having a piston, an auxiliary cylinder having a piston com municating means therebetween whereby the second-piston is actuated on excess travel of the first mentioned piston, and slack adj uster mechanism associated with said second mentioned piston, including a take up rod adjacent said cylinder, a holding rod connected with said. second mentioned piston, and a member mounted on said rods and actuating a fulcrum point in one of the levers of the brake rigging, said member having means therein adapted to engage one red and slide freely ,on the other as the piston moves in one direction, and to be held against movement on the return movement of said piston.

8. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a power cylinder having a piston, an auxiliary cylinder having apisto'n communicating means therebetween whereby the second pistonis actuated on, excess travel of the first mentioned piston, and slack adjuster mechanism associated with said second mentioned piston, including a dog box adapted to form a fulcrum point of one of the levers of the brake rigging, and spring actuated dogs within said box through which said second mentioned piston rod is adapted to pass freely in one direction and said dogs being adapted to move said dog box with the piston rod on its return to normal position.

4:. In an automatic slack adjuster, in com bination, a power cylinder and piston, an auxiliary cylinder and piston operatively connected therewith whereby air is transmitted from one cylinder to the other on excess travel of the main power piston, a piston rod associated with the second piston, and a take up rod parallel thereto, and a member mounted on said rods adapted to act as a fulcrum point for one of the levers of the brake rigging, said member having means coacting with said rods whereby said member is held against movement in one direction on operation of said second mentioned piston ro,d,.and is moved to a new relative position along the take up rod on return of the piston to normal position.

5. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a power cylinder and piston, an auxiliary cylinder and piston operatively connected therewith whereby air is transmitted from one cylinder to the other on excess travel of the main power piston, a piston rod associated with the second piston, and a take up rod parallel thereto, and a member mounted on said rods adapted to act as a fulcrum point for one of the levers of the brake rigging, said member having means coacting with said rods whereby said member is held against movement in one direction on operation of said second mentioned piston rod and is moved to a new relative position along the take .up rod on return of the piston to normal position, said means including two sets of spring actuated holding dogs so positioned within said member as to permit relative movement of the rods one direction and prevent movement in the opposite direction.

' 6. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a power cylinder and piston, an auxiliary cylinder and piston operatively connected therewith whereby air' is transmitted from one cylinder to the other on excess travel of the main power piston, a piston rod associated with the second piston, a take up rod parallel thereto, and a member mounted on said rods adapted to act as a fulcrum point for one of the levers of the brake rigging, said member having means coacting with said rods whereby said member is held against movement in one direction on operation of said second mentioned piston rod and is moved to a new relative position along the take up rod on return of the piston to normal position, said means including two said rods whereby the member may be moved sets of spring actuated holding dogs so freely in either direction. 10 positioned within said member as to permit In testimony whereof I afix my signature relative movement of the rods in one direcin presence of two witnesses.

tion and prevent movement in the opposite WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE. direction, and means associated with said Witnesses: member whereby said dogs may be manually GEORGE E. HAMMOND,

moved to a position normal to the axes of ERNEST R. ELMER. 

